Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-01-26
PIECES OF THE SHIP.
A SMALL, QROOKED.BACKED AND
SORE.EYED PILOT.

A SMALL. eRo0KED:RACKED AND
SORE.EYED PILOT.
THE GREAT GOSPEL SHIP THE
| FINEST.
GOOD ADVICE TO SINNERS.
HAS YOUR THEOLOGICAL SYSTEM
GONE TO PIECES.
DIR. TALMAaE's SERMON SUNDAY, JAN. 10TH.
| BROOKLYN, January 16.-For many years
the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the largest Pro-
testant church in America, has been throng
ed twice on the Sabbath, every available
inch occupied, even the aisles, pulpit stairs
and doorways, and multitudes going away
unable to get in. DR.. TalMage recently
announced to his congregation that, if the
present building could be sold for an Acad-
envy of Music, another church, one holding
ten thousand people, would be erected
This morning, after expounding the Scrip
lures, he gave out the hymn
'sinners turn. why will ye dies
God. your maker. asks you why"
The subject Of the sermon was "Broken
Pieces of the Ship" and the text, Acts
xxi, A: ''Seme on broken pieces of the
ship" DR.. Talmage spoke as follows:
Never off Goodwin Sands or the Skerries
or Cape Hatteras was ship in worse pre-
dicament than in the Mediterranean hurri-
cane, was the grain ship, on which two
hundred and seventy six passengers were
driven on the coast of Malta, five miles
from the metropolis of that island, called
Cita Vecchia. After a two weeks, tempest,
and the ship was entirely disabled and cap
| tain and crew became completely demoral
ized, an old missionary took command of
the vessel He was small, crooked backed
and sore eyed, according to tradition. 1t
was Paul, the only unscared man aboard.
he was no more afraid of Euroclydon tos-
sing the Mediterranean sea, now up to the
gates of heaven and now sinking it to the
gates Of hell, than he was afraid Of a kitten
playing with q string. He ordered them all
them a blessing. Then he insured all their
lives, telling them they would be rescued,
and SO far from losing their heads, they
| would not lose 30 much Of their hair as you
could cut off with one click of the scissors;
aye, not thread of it, whether it were gray
with age or golden with youth. ''There
shall not a hair fall from the head Of any Of
you."
Knowing that they can never get to the
desired pert, they make the sea on the four
teenth night black with ovsrthrown cargo,
80 that when the ship strikes it will not
strike so heavily. At day break they saw
creek, and in their exigency resolved to
make for it. And so they cut the cables,
took in the two paddles that they had on
| these old boats, and hoistsd the main sail
SO that they might come with such force as
| to be driven high up on the beach by some
fortunate billow. There she goes-tum-
bling toward the rocks, now prov foremost,
| new stern foremost, now rolling over to star
board, now wave dashes clear over the
deck, and it seems as if the old craft has
gone forever. But up she comes again.
Paups arm around mast, he cries, "All is
well. God has given me all those that sail
with me-" Crashl went the prov with
such force that it broke off the mast. Crash!
went the timbers, till the seas rushed
through from side to side of the vessel. She
parts amidships, and into a thousand frag-
ments the vessel goes, and into the waves
two hundred and seventy six immortals are
precipitated. Some of them had been
brought up on the seashere and had learned
to swim, and with their chin just above the
waves, and by stroke Of both arms and pro-
pulsion of both feet, they put out for the
beach and reach it. But alas for those 9TH
ers! They have never learned to swim, or
they were wounded by the falling of the
mast, or the nervous shock was too great
for them. And others had been weakened
by long sea-sickness.
"Oh, what will become of them ?" s'Take
that piece Of a rudder,' says Paul to enc.
''Take that fragment Of SPAR" says Paul
to another. Take that table" 'sTake
that image of Castor and Pollux." Take
that plank from the lifeboat.' "Take any
thing and head for the beach," What a
struggle for life in the breakers! Oh, the
merciless waters, how they sweep over the
heads of men, women and children! Hold
on there! Almost ashore, keep up courage!
RememEer what Paul told you. There, the
receding wave on the beach leaves in the
sand whole family. There crawls up out
of the surf the centurion. There another
plank comes in with a life clinging fast to
it. There another piece of the shattered
vessel with its freightage of an immortal
sonl. They must by this time all be saved.
Yes; there comes in last Of all, for he had
been overseeing the rest, the old missionary,
who wripgs the water from his gray beard
and cries out: ''Thank God, all are here ,
Gather them around fire and call the
roll. Paul builds fire, and when the
bundle of sticks begin to crackle and, stand
ing and sitting around the blaze, the pas
sengers begin 10 recover from their chill,
and their wet clothes begin to dry, and
warmth begins to come into all the shiver-
ing passengers, let the purser of the vessel
60 round and see ifany of the poor creatures
are missing. Not one of the crowd that
were plunged into the sea. How it relieves
our anxiety as we read: 'Some on broken
pieces of the ship, and so it came to pass
they all escaped safe to land"
Having on previous occasions looked at
the other passengers, confine myself to-
day to an examination of those who came
in on broken pieces of the ship. There is
something about them that excites in me
an intense interest. l am not so much in
terested in those that could swim. They
got ashore as expected. A mile Of water
is not very great undertaking for strong
WINNER, or even two miles are not But
| cannot stop thinking about thoSe on brok
en- pieces of the ship. The great Gospel
ship is the finest vessel of the universe and
can eaiiy Hore passengers IMAM any eraII
ever constructed, and you could no more
wreck it than you could wreck the throne
of God Almighty. l wish all the people
would come aboard of her. I could not
promise a smooth voyage, for ofttimes it
will be tempestuous or chopped sea: but
could promise safe arrival for all who took
passage on the Great Eastern, so called by
me because its commander came out of the
East, the star of the East badge of his au-
| thority.
| But vast multitude do not take regular
passage. Their theology is broken in pieces,
and their life is broken in pieces, and their
habits are broken in pieces, and their world
ly and spiritual prospects are broken in